Pete Hegseth makes it clear that he wants a “Department of War”…not merely a new name, but a military led by warriors who can command effectively in combat.
The U.S. Secretary of War recently announced that colonels and Navy captains seeking promotion to one-star rank will face a new Joint Warfighter Evaluation to assess their ability to wage war across services.
The initiative puts battlefield leadership at the center of his promotion agenda.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday the military this year will start evaluating colonels and Navy captains for one-star positions as part of a new process.
“While the backbone of our military is our NCOs (noncommissioned officers) and our petty officers, victory depends on the commanders who lead them. America needs warfighters who can master a chaotic battle space,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X.
The Joint Warfighter Evaluation (JWE) follows Hegseth’s May memo to begin assessing service members’ ability to wage joint warfare as part of promotion and advancement considerations for officers and senior noncommissioned officers.
Hegseth in the video acknowledged tasking Stuart Scheller, who currently serves as the secretary’s senior adviser of personnel and readiness, and his team a year ago to challenge “generations of promotion assumptions.”
Today, I am announcing the Joint Warfighter Evaluation. pic.twitter.com/F0JIfbmEKs
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 22, 2026
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